The National tribune., 1887-12-08

that the course we urge is the only correct
one. If so, then let him advocate this policy
in public and private, and appeal to his
Representatives in Congress to stand firm
against any revenue tinkering until the
Nation is able to stand before the world in
the honest attitude of one who has fully
and fairly paid every debt that 1t owes.
STOP sWINDLING THE PENSIONERS.
Common honesty, common decency de-
mands that the United States stop swind-
ling its pensioners in the matter of arrears.
The arrears are due every pensioner who has
not received them, To deny them to him is
to swindle him as badly as any creditor is
ever swindled when his debtor refuses him
payment upon some pretext trumped up to
avoid paying the debt.
The limitations statute is such pretext
set up by the United States to prevent its
creditors collecting what is justly due them.
II is especially dishonest in that it is the act
OF powerful debtor who can make such
regulations as he pleases against his credit
ors without their being able to help them
selves. Ordinary debtors who make resort
TO tricks and shutting to avoid paying their
debts, can generally be reached by the law
or in some other way, but the Nation cannot.
There is to-day S75,OOO,OO0 due the PEN
sioners Of the country for arrears. 1t is
money that they earned by the hardest and
most dangerous service ever done by man.
Compared with the ordinary rewards of life,
it is beggarly pittance to each man who is
entitled to it. 1t means little to a rich and
powerful country whose Golfers are bursting
with idle money, but with the men to whom
it is due it is everything in the world. To
them it means home, family, medicines, re-
lief from anxiety about support, payment
for medical assistance-everything in short
that money can mean to disabled and needy
men who are past the meridian of life.
In the common walks of life a man is
held to be essentially dishonest who takes
advantage of the statute of limitations to
avoid the payment of just debt. There
can be no other description OF the course of
the Government which, in addition, makes
its own statute of limitations, and enforces
it as it pleases against its helpless creditors.
If the Government will now do the hon
est thing and pay these creditors the $751;
100000 which it is Withholding from them,
it will, in addition to performing an act OF
National honesty, and bringing welcome re-
lief to the men to whom it owes so much
more than mere money it will do what will
be of great and general benefit to the coun-
try.
To pay the pensioners the $75,0O0OOo due
for arrears will be to distribute that amount
in the shortest possible time among the
business men of the country. 1t will be to
divide this great amount up in the most
equitable way among all sections, and give
every class of business men proportionatt
share of the benefits Of this addition to the
ready money of the country. 1t will make
business better everywhere. and stimulat.
the pulses of industry and commerce.
The stock charge of the soldier hater,
against all pension measures that they ar,
T schemes of claim agents" will not Ii.
against this, for no pension attorney will re
ceive dollar of the millions which will b,
paid out to pensioners The COMMISSIONS
of Pensions will pay the amount to eacl
veteran without one cent of expense to him
The time to pay those arrears is nOtC-
| within the next 30 days. Every month tina
+ this act of justice is withheld, hundreds o
veterans TO whom they are due pass from
) earth and the reach of the Commissioner o
Pensions to that land where want and sick
/ ness is as unknown as wars and selfish ant
ungrateful politicians.
: Again, we say, as we began, stop slOindlin
the pensioners and pay your debts.
AN exchange earnestly advises youn
! men "not to marry any woman who know
more than you do" But alas, few men eve
} find out what woman really knows unit